Tripping mechanism for igniters.



ZQWWZM H. 'R. VAN DEVENTER. TRIPPING MECHANSM FOR IGNITERS. APPLICATION FILED MAR. '21. 1915. mi'twco APR. 25. 1911 1,245,831. v Patented-Nov. 6, 1917.

aw-igneous .H. R. VANDEVENTER. TRIPPING MECHANISM FOR IGNITERSE APPLICATION FILED MAR. 27. 1915. RENEWED APR-251 191p 1245,31; I v Patented Nov. 6, 1911-- 2 SHEETS.SHEET 2 UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

HARRY RANDOLPH VAN DEVENTEB, OF SUMTEE, SOUTH CAIEPOLINA, ASSIGNOB, MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO SPLITDOl'tF ELECTRICAL COMPANY, OF NEWABE NEW JERSEY, A. CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY,

TRIPPING MECHANISM ronromrnns.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented No 6, 1917.

Application filed March 27, 1915, Serial No. 17,499. Renewed April 25, 1917. semi No. 164,526

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY RANDOLPH VAN DEVENTER, a citizen of the United contained apparatus, preferably combining all of the magneto and-operating parts with the igniter inone unit, provided with hand operating or starting means, and holding or locking means.

It has heretofore been proposed, as for example in the Patent No. 1,030,243 granted to C. T. Mason, ,June 18th, 1912, to provide hand operating and latching means for an ignition dynamo, but su h devices have required the provision of various separate elements, such as operating means, igniter rods, magneto supports, and the like, which being carried on different supports, and subject to adjustment of various parts of-the engine and appurtenances, cannot be combined and adjustedwith respect to each other so as to produce full economy and efficiency.

In order to attain my object, I provide a bracket structure connected with the igniter plug, and upon this bracket I mount the magneto with the operating parts, tension springs for the same being connected to posts on side arms extending out from a flange on the plug. Upon one of these posts I also mount a latch; and upon the other one a hand operating device, and I so design and arrange these and the cooperating parts that not only is the apparatus as a whole self-contained, but all parts are adjusted against each other and with-respect to each other, and all strains are properly compen sated in the unit itself. The only indispensable outside connection is the push rod or equivalent means driven by the engine, and

with respect to the operating parts is pro-1 vided for, for'purposes of timing. .As

shall presently point out, this adjustment can also be placed upon the unit, whereby its absolute and fixed correlation with the operating elements is assured.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a plan view showing my invention applied to the cylinder wall of an engine.

Fig. 2 is a front view thereof with the magneto removed.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a modification. Fig. 4 is a vertical section thereof taken on the line a-a of Fig. 3.,

Referring to the drawings in particular, 1 denotes a section of the wall of the engine cylinder, to permit theigniter body 2 to be shown. This carries the movable contact and the fixed contact 4 constituting the usual make and break igniter mechanism. A fiange5 projects around the aperture in the cylinder, andprOjecting from this flange and preferably integral therewith loosely mounted on the shaft 15 of the movable electrode 3, it being understood that the shaft forms a support for the trip lever' 14 but does not move therewith. Triplever 14 'is provided with an 'igniter firing finger ably attached to the trip lever lfi, which is 16, a bifurcated finger 17, and a trip finger" 18, the latter adapted to be engaged by the push rod 19, the outer end of said rod being the engine so that the rod has a -reciprocat-' ing motion over the pulley 20 which causes the inner end 21 of the rod to push inwardly against 18 until same is suddenly released and rides under it. Such a trip motion is now commonly used inconnection with make and break ignitrs.

The shaft 15 of the movable contact 3 of the igniter carries-at its outer end an arm 90 suitably connected tofsome moving part of 22 having suitable'adjustin'g meanssuch as I the screw 23 whereby 'therelative position the necessity, when some magnetos are used,

of 22 and the firing finger 16 on the trip lever may be adjusted. This is occasioned by again when battery is used it is preferable I td'iiave the igniter contacts normally open, I

of'having the igniter contacts closed, while A spring 24 or any other suitable means may be employed to hold the contacts of the igniter together which is accomplished by securing one end of said spring to the flange and the other end at the arm 22.

Projecting from the flange 5 is a support- 25 upon which may be mountedany suitable magneto 26, the support 25 together .with the members 2, 5, 6 and 7 forming a unit mounting frame preferably integral.

Upon the shaft of this magneto is a dog 27', a crank pin 28 3 which is positioned bethe alternating current type, the armature" or rotor of same is so set in relation to the dog 27 that when the dog is moved to the right, facing Fig. l, and suddenly released, the peak of thecurrent wave pro- 4.0. r the dog, thereby actuating the magneto. At

"plishedby the duced by the movement of the armature will occur at the same time the 'igniter points, in the cylinder, separate. This is accompush rod 19 engaging trip finger 18, thereby pushing tri lever 14 to theleft until 1 8 trips under t e end 21 of rod 19. When this occurs, springs 12 and 13 cause a quick return ofthe trip lever to its normalor central position, and finger l7 engaging the lower end 28 of the dog 27 causes a corresponding rapid movement of the proper time, in the cycle of operations the firing finger 16 strikes the lower end of the screw 23, which moves arm 22 rigidly attached to shaft 15 thereby causing aspark at the separation of the igniter contacts in the cylinder.

To prevent the operation of the igniter mechanism during the idle strokes of the engine, the exhaust valve push rod 32 which has a reciprocating motion, is provided with suitable meanssuch as the pin 33 adapted to engage the arm 34 of a bell crank lever, the upper end 35 of which is positioned under push rod 19, so that when the exhaust rod idle. stroke of the piston on hitand-miss ines, or when the exhaust valve is held open by the governor, the bell crank lever will occupy the' position shown in dotted lines, thereby lifting the push rod 19 above finger 18, which prevents the operation of the igniter mechanism, the rod 19 reciprocating idly above finger 18 without engaging same.

actuated, which occurs during the substantially horizontal position and simultaneously removing the wire 29 from the binding post 31. Any other suitable source of current may then be connected to post 31 and the engine may be operated without the magneto, as the parts that operate the igniter, and which coact as between the same and the engine, are not disturbed. I

From the foregoing it will be obvious that the igniter mechanism only without the magneto is operated; and furthermore that the said igniter mechanism alone may be actuated by hand as hereinafter described, and while I disclose this arrangement it will be understood that the same is claimed in another application.

For the purpose of operating the magneto "by hand a lever 38 is provided pivoted on the stationary post 9 and adapted td'be swung around its pivot, in operation, by means of a handle 39. The lever 38 is of such length as to engage the stud 40 and raise it into'the position indicated in dotted lines (Fig. 2) under which condition, the lever also assumes the position indicated in dotted lines. In raising the stud 40 into the I dotted line position, the trip lever 14 is swung into its maximum operating or cooked position. In order to hold the trip lever in the cooked position, an extension 42 is provided to be carried by the trip lever and so arranged in fixed relation thereto as to engage a trigger 43 when the trip lever is swung into the cooked position. The trigger 43 is pivotally mounted on the post 8, =biased by a weight 44 adapted to be operated or rotated against the bias of the weight by means of a suitable handle 45. It is obvious from the foregoing that, under normal conditions, when the lever 38 is rotated clockwise through approximately 270 degrees the trip lever will be thrown into cocked position and automatically latched there through engagement of the end of the extension 42 with the trigger 43. With the igniter mechanism latched in the cocked position as described, all that is necessary in order to start the engine is to turn the same into the power stroke and release the trigger 43 by operation of the handle 45 whereupon the ignition mechanism is actuated under force of the operating springs 12-13 to ignite the charge all'in a manner as prev ously set forth. As soon as the engine has been started, the handle 4:) pi... a. thereby raising the trigger43 out of engaging relation with the trip'lever extension 42,- in which position the trigger will become biased by the weight 44, the weight being moved to the left of the vertical above the plvot.

To stop the engine it is only necessary to,

- place the trigger back in the position indipositioned in alinement with a' bearing 55 cated in Fig. 2 whereupon the next throw of the trip lever into cocked position by the normal operation of the push rod will cause it to become latched in that position and stop the engine, leaving the ignition mechanism set in readiness for again starting the engine by releasing the trigger.

It is further to be noted that in initially starting the engine with the igniter parts in the normal or uncocked position, the

trigger 4.3 may be disabled as previously pointed out and the trip lever 14 thrown into its extreme operated position and then released or'tripped by continued rotation of the lever 38 in a clockwise direction after its engagement with the stud 40. This operation will of course have the same effect as any of the other operations previously described and so result in starting the engine.

Referringnow to Figs. 3 and 4, I have herein shown my invention embodied in an ignition unit of a different structure, the operation however being substantially the same.

In this modification 46 is the engine cylinder on which is mounted the main frame body 47 of the ignition unit by means of the mounting bolts 4849. (Fig. 4.) The main frame body carries the igniter body 3 which extends into the ignition chamber of the engine and carries mounted on its end the fixed electrode 4 of the igniter which .electrode is electrically connected with the binding post 52 carried on the outer face of the main frame body 47. An outward extension 53 of the frame carries a bearing 54 in the main frame body 47. These two bearings support the igniter operating shaft 56 which extends from the bearing 54 inwardly through the igniter body into the ignition chamber where .it carries the movable electrode 57 of the igniter. The outer extension,

53 carries a pair of spring holding arms consisting of the extension 58 and post 5 on one side, and extension 60 and post 61 on theother'side. A bracket 62 extends outwardly from, and below\ the extended portion 533 for. the purpose of mounting the magneto 63 in proper position relative to the other parts. Circuit connection may be made in a manner'as shown in Fig. 1, from the magneto binding post 77 to the igniter binding post 52, the return circuit being by way of ground or frame. The igniter operating shaft 56 carries an operating lever 64- fixed thereto and both held normally in a given position relative to the frame by means of a torsion spring 65 connected between the lever 64 and the main frame body 47. The trip lever 66 is journaled on the igniter operating shaft and held under tension 1n a given position relative to the frameby means of the pull springs 67 and 68 each Motion is transmitted. from the trip lever to the magneto shaft by means of the upwardly extending bifurcated finger 71 on the trip lever, and the crank pin 72 straddled at one end by the bifurcated finger and connected at the other end to a crank 73 carried by the magneto shaft 74. For operating the trip lever 66 atrip finger 75 is provided extendin downwardly from the trip lever into the pat of a reciprocating trip rod 76 and clear of the various other parts-of the ignition unit. The operation of the trip lever and consequently the igniter and magneto, by the trip rod 76 is in all respects similar to that described for Figs. 1 and 2.

In applying the cooking and release mechanism to the structure just described, the cocking lever 38 is pivoted to the post 59 and in the same fixed relation to the stud 69 on the trip lever 66 as is the lever 38 of Fig. 2 to the stud 40. S-imilarl the trigger 43 is pivotally mounted on the post 8 in the same relation to the extension 42 or the trip lever. 66 as are the corresponding membe'rs 43 and 42 of Fig. 2. The cocking mechanism applied as shown in Figs. 3 and 4-0perates in substantially the same manner as that further set out in connection with Figs. 1 and 2 and is thought to be'sufliciently obvious to be understood without further detailed description.

While I have herein described and illustrated in detail the preferred embodiment'of my invention, it is to be understood that various other modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, which modifications are contemplated by me.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat-- ent is y 1. Ignition mechanism for an internal combustion engine comprising a frame adapted to be mounted on the engine, an igniter, carried by the frame'so as to extend into the ignition chamber of the engine, a trip lever for actuating said igniter, tension means extending between the fre me and trip lever tending normally to maintain the trip lever in a given position, manually actuated means carried by the frame for moving the trip lever against the force of said ten S1011 means to cocked position and auto-- matically releasing the same, means carried by the frame for holding the trip lever in cockedposition against the force of said tension meansfmanually operated means carried-by the frame for releasing the trip lever,

, all in combination with a magneto removably supported on said frame and detachable connecting means between the rotor of said magneto and said trip lever.

2. ignition mechanism for an internal combustion engine comprisinga frame adapted to be mounted on the engine, an igniter carried by the frame so as to extend into the ignition chamber of the engine, a trip lever for actuating said igniter, tension means extending between the frame and trip lever tending normally to maintain the trip I lever in a given position, means operated by the engine for moving the trip lever against the force of said tension means to cocked position and automatically releasing" the same, manually actuated means carried by the framefor-moving thelztrip lever to cocked position and automatic'ally releasing the same, means carried by the frame for holding the tripv lever -in cocked position against the force of the tension means manually actuated means carried by the fr'aniefor releasing the trip lever, means carried. by the framefor disabling said libli-ng means, all in combination with a magneto removably supported on said frame and detachable connecting ,means between the rotor of said magneto and said trip lever.

53 Ignition mechanism for an internal combustion engine comprising a. frame adaptedto be mounted on-the engine, an igniter carried by the frame so as to extend into theignition chamber of the engine, a trip leverfor actuating said igniter, tension means extending between the frame and trip lever tending normally to maintain the trip lever in a given position, means operated, by the engine for moving the trip V lever against the force of said tension means 'tion mechanism for an internal naeaeei igniter carried by the frame so as to extend into the ignition chamber of the engine, a trip lever for actuating said igniter, tension means extending between the frame and trip lever tending normally to maintain the trip lever in a given position, means operated by the engine for moving the trip lever against the force of said tension means to cocked position and automatically releasing thesame, means carried by the frame for timing the release of the trip lever, manually actuated means carried by the frame for moving the trip lever to cocked position and automatically releasing the same, means carried by the frame forholding the trip lever in cocked position against the force of the tension means, normally actuated means carried by the frame for releasing the trip lever, means carried by the frame for disabling said holding means, all in combination with a magneto removably supported ,on said frame and detachable connecting means between the rotor of said magneto and said trip lever. I

5. Ignition mechanism for an internal combustion engine, comprising a frame adapted to be mounted on the engine, an igniter carried by the frame so as to extend into the ignition chamber ofthe engine, a trip lever for actuating said igniter, tension means extending between theframe and trip lever tending normally to maintain the trip lever in a given position, means operatedfby the engine for moving the trip lever against the force of said tension means to cocked position and automatically releasin the same, manually actuated means carrie by the frame for moving the trip lever tococked position and automatically releasing the same, trigger mechanismpivoted on the frame for automatically catching and holding the trip lever in cocked position after the movement of the trip lever to said position and releasing it at will, means for disabling'said trigger, all in combination with a magneto removably supported on said.

frame and detachable connecting means between the rotor of said magneto and said trip lever.

6. Ignition mechanism for an internal combustion engine comprising a frame adapted to be mounted onthe engine, an igniter carried by the frame so as to extend into the ignition chamber of the engine, a trip lever for actuating said igniter, tension means extending between the frame and trip lever tending normally to maintain the trip lever in a given position, engine actuated means and manually actuated means carried by the frame for moving the trip lever against the force, of said tension to cocked position and automatically releasing the same, trigger mechanism pivoted on the frame for automatically catching and holding the trip levier in cocked position upon 1;! ccmbiaatlon w psriai 021 said frame naming means 'wzween agmt-o and; said trip anus.

In testimony whereof I hereunto. afix my s gnamre m the presence of two wltnesses.

HARE! RANDOLPH VAN DEVEETER.

Witnewz.

E. 1'1. 31mm, Emu B. Isms. 

